What Happened:
Detroit rode solid frontcourt performances to a 20 point lead in the third quarter, then stopped playing. This resulted in a four point victory, in spite of a near triple double from David Lee.
The Good:
Welcome to the team Chris Wilcox. Wilcox notched a double-double, with 14 points and 10 rebounds in just 16 minutes of play. He injected some life into a team that showed signs of fatigue after an OT win the night before. Charlie V. continued to demonstrate why he should be playing close to the basket, grabbing 10 board to go with 19 points in spite of a 1-6 performance from behind the three point arc.
The Pistons continued their defensive resurgence, and outrebounded the Knicks 51-39, allowing them to win despite 39% shooting.
The Bad:
Jason Maxiell played just as many minutes as Wilcox, and did nothing with them. He has continued his inexplicable regression from last year. Oh, and the Pistons shot poorly across the board (39%, 31%, 72%).
The Eric Stoltz Unsung Hero:
How about Atkins, who posted the highest +/- of the game (+9), scored ten points on 3-5 shooting, and made two free throws to seal the win? Sing about that.
The Takeaway:
The Pistons are going to need to play better than this to edge into the playoff race, but a win on the end of a back-to-back is a rare thing indeed. The Pistons have two days off before travelling to New York to play these guys again.